Oh well this is one of those things that has been sitting around doing nothing...And all I need to do is build yet another cable.. It was a prototype made by Precision Display Technologies. Their part number is MPCDX-PROTO, which is for the F/A-18C/D.

Fig 1. F/A-18C/D MPCD prototype

The Analysis: Well it looks like I need a VGA cable to go to a component input.. So what signals are in a VGA cable? So a quick look and I found this picture (Fig 2). So I need a cable that will start as VGA cable and end up with 4 BNC connectors RGB+Sync.

Fig 2. Rear

The Plan: Well getting a VGA Cable is a no-brainer there all over the place.. Next we need the other end. As I have lots of Sun Microsystems Cables, one of them is a DB13W3 to BNC cable. So now all I have to do is cut the cables in half and put them back right? Sounds good.. The Bezel Control I/O will have to wait for another day.

Fig 3 VGA Pinout

VGA Pin and Color

VGA Wire

DB13W3 Wire

1

RED

RED

RED

2

Green

YELLOW

GREEN

3

Blue

BLUE

BLUE

13

H Sync

RED

BLACK

14

V Sync

N/A

GRAY

5

Ground

Black

Shield

Table 1. VGA Connector

LATER: Ok So I wired it up as per the above table and got this: (Fig 4)

I have to download there software to adjust the CRT its all done with software...

Fig 4. Working monitor needing adjustment

.

MUCH LATER:Oh well my cable did not work right and the display would not lock vertically. During a call today with John, at Precision Display Technologies, he suggested that I need to use both syncs. As this unit will use three types of syncs:

syncs(2) on green,

combined syncs,

separate syncs.

VGA Pin and Color

VGA Cable

PS3 Cable

1

RED

RED

RED

2

Green

YELLOW

GREEN

3

Blue

BLUE

BLUE

13

H Sync

RED

Red/Blk

14

V Sync

GRAY

Blue/Blk

5

Ground

Black

Shield

Table 2. VGA to 4 BNC CableSalvaged from a PS3 Game Cable

Fig 8. PS2/3 Psyclone 12 foot video Cable

So a quick jumper between the Gray sync wire and the VSync confirmed this. Table 1 is out and Table 2 is in. It looks like I will need CABLE v2. So the DB13W3 is out as it only has 4 BNC connectors and I need 5; RBG + 2 syncs. I remembered that I just picked up a PS3 Component Video Cable( Figure 8 )... It sounds like I have my new sacrifice!!

Ok all ended well that is well and it all works..

Fig 5. Working monitorI have to adjust the resolution..

Fig 6. The new cable thats shorted...

LATER: FEB 18, 2014 well here is the new cable, you will notice there is a DVI - VGA at the end of the cable. GROAN: Do you see whats wrong?? yup the ends are RCA-Phono not BNC connectors.... Looks like I need some adapters (see Fig 7)..

A Few Days Later: It looks like there was a whisker shorting out the Blue.. GROAN: Ok the fix is painful. I have to cut down the shrink wrap and then the electrical tape and two layers of shrink wrap over the Blue it self.

LATER: AUG 31, 2014 Well I had some problems at Cockpit Fest with the Cable as you guessed I never fixed the *** Cable, so its time to do something about it.. I really want this to be pro. so I just cut the cable in half time to start over and just do it right.

Fig 7.RCA-Phono - BNC Adapter

Keep tuned in more to come

~ Cris

BTW: The tools that I used to figure out this mess was a DVM to ring out the VGA cable and my old Tektronix 475A Oscilloscope to get the syncs right..